Wilderness Survival Forums - Blogs http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php A public discussion forum on wilderness surivival, primitive technology, and disaster preparedness. en Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:18:57 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg Wilderness Survival Forums - Blogs http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php Basic Comforts Of Life http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=275 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:46:08 GMT BASIC COMFORTS OF LIFE I’ve seen some ups and downs and have seen life from many levels ranging from just the clothes on my back to home ownership... BASIC COMFORTS OF LIFE

I’ve seen some ups and downs and have seen life from many levels ranging from just the clothes on my back to home ownership and new cars. A person can survive with very little but for me I need a certain level of comfort to be content with life. This is what I consider my minimum for the long term and think it would serve as a good guide for those wishing to transition from urban to rural living but will serve for any body with a shelter of any kind be it a garden shed or one room of a burnt out building. I have set myself up so that should I have to start over (again) this is where I would be starting from. My basic shelter is a 10 man Arctic army tent but the shelter could be anything and what follows is what I consider needed for comfortable living.

Small wood burning stove - Heat is essential. I said small stove because it is for heating a small space. Large stoves take more space in room, burn more wood. Smaller stoves also burn hotter to heat the same amount of space. There is an assumption that you can cook on a wood stove but in all practicality they will run you out of a place before they generate enough heat to cook on. They can be cooked in and used for keeping coffee warm or heating water but would take forever to cook diner. Smaller stoves are also more portable and the items I list here will fit in the trunk of a large car or in a closet and could be used in your home should you loose utilities. You can run the stove pipe out a window of your house and be set up in 15 minutes.

Cast iron propane stove - The kind that sit on counter. I have a single burner but they come in double and triple version also but I prefer the portability. They do not have pilot lights so they do not use propane when not in use and burn hotter than most stoves so can be used as auxiliary heat and heating water.

Wash pan and tub - Wash pan for heating water and used for dishes. To bath I just heat up some water, stand in tub, pour about half a gallon over my head, soap up and then pour another gallon and half over my head to rinse and then dump tub outside. The tub is good for washing cloths that can be hung to dry too.

Cast iron cook ware - It requires less scrubbing and cooks more evenly. Great for cooking over an outdoor fire pit.

5 gallon water jug with valve type spout - Set on a shelf or counter it’s just like having running water.

Cooler - I like cold food but not frozen food so I just freeze jugs of water outside and put them in a cooler inside to keep chill on things. There are many ways to keep food cool like putting it in a creek or digging to permafrost but beyond the scope of this posting. Portability is part of the theme.

Honey Bucket - Just a five gallon bucket to take a crap in. They make lids and seats for them that cost about 15 dollars but you can always improvise. I prefer them to out houses for portability reasons and hate dropping my drawers at -50 below. This is about comfort and I would rather crap in the warmth and carry it fully dressed to dump in a hole outside. Urban dwellers may want keep some kitty litter on hand. You still need a place to dump it.

Good old fashioned kerosene lamp - Not the ones for decoration so common today. Even the larger wicks of the older ones don’t throw an intense light but adequate for most things and 5 gallons of kerosene will last a long time. Winters are long and dark here and I go crazy without light, been there, done that!

Coleman white gas lantern - They throw a lot more light for reading or work that needs more light. They burn more fuel so if money is an issue I limit their use. Good portable light for going outside.

Inflatable bed or cot - Long term comfort means getting a good nights sleep.

Good battery operated radio - Like the kerosene lamp it helps to keep you from going crazy. Also warns of bad weather and current events and Tradio can help you find temporary work or other opportunity. Tape and CD players will use up batteries fast so I just listen to radio.

NOTE: This is what I consider minimum for LONG TERM comfort. I could live indefinitely like this the rest of my days and be happy, but I always try to improve my condition. Electricity is not as high on my list as with others but my preparations are actually beyond this point now. I have a 500,000 BTU weed burner to start my car on cold days, All the hand tools to develop another piece of land. I have a Honda generator to run power tools and put a chill on freezer once a day and charge batteries for a couple hours that run through an inverter for quiet power. The thing is while nice to have my contentment does not require it. I post this for those wanting to transition to off grid living that think they cannot afford it. This is what I have done when I could not afford to live in town. ]]> Alaskan Survivalist http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=275 A portion of a chapter from my novel http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=274 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:02:54 GMT 'A boy, looking to be around 8 years old, is running across a field. He has a baseball bat in his right hand and is holding a ball glove by the back strap. He looks carefree and happy, maybe running home for lunch. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a medium sized light brown wire haired terrier leaped up and viciously bit into and held on to the boys chest. It shook viciously as dogs do when they are trying to cause as much damage as they can. The boy screamed, dropped the glove from his left hand and grabbed the dogs collar with it. The dogs vicious shaking caused its teeth to rip through the boys flesh and lose its grip on him. White hot pain shot through the boy and the expression on his face drastically changed, almost instantly, from fear and pain to outright rage. The boy remembered the bat in his right hand and still holding the dogs collar with his left he raised the bat and brought it down onto the dog's head with all the force he could muster. There was a terrible cracking sound and the dog went limp; but the boy kept swinging the bat over and over. He let go of the dog's collar and renewed his swings now with both hands. His swung and swung and swung. Blood flew and splattered all over the ground and the boy. When fatigue final caused the blows to stop the boy took a few steps back and wiped his face with a hankerchief from his back pocket. He didn't cry as one might expect. He was now eerily calm. He picked up his glove and walked home. When he walked in the house his mother was shocked and appalled at the sight of him, shirt ripped, blood pouring from his wounded chest and covered in more blood from head to toe. "What happened?", she screamed. "A dog bit me.", he said; and now the tears started. She pulled him to the sink and began to wash him off. She tried to see how bad his wounds were and the boy looked into her eyes and told her that most of the blood was the dog's. "Good!", she said in an angry voice and she got her purse and told him to hold the clean towel she had handed him to his wound. She removed her keys from the purse and told her oldest son to call the doctor and tell them they were on the way in with a nasty dog bite to be treated. She then took the younger boy by his free hand and led him to the station wagon in the driveway and headed to the doctor's office. 57 stitches inside and outside were needed to close the ragged massive wound the dog had made. He was perscribed anti-biotics against infection and the police were called to collect the dog so it could be tested for rabies.
When they returned home they found the police waiting along with one of their neighbors. They weren't there, as his mother suspected to find the dog. They were there to arrest the boy for killing the dog. However when the police saw the boy's wound they declined to arrest him and took the dog's remains to be tested for rabies. The man started yelling at the boy's mother and once again the boy's face changed from fear to rage and he pushed and pushed at the man and told him in a stern cold voice,"Get away from my mommy or I'll get my bat, mister."
Suddenly I awoke from the alarm clock catterwalling. The dream was recurring. It was the first time "The Beast" as my mother called it had erupted from deep inside me.
I went to the head, then into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. I showered, shaved, brushed my teeth then dressed. The coffee was done a little before I was. I poured myself a cup, took an much appreciated sip and made a breakfast of fresh blueberries, bananas and musli with soy milk. Then logged on to this website from my secure laptop.The people who own this house are apparently fairly health conscious. They are gone for a long weekend and will return to find it a smoldering pile of charred remains and ashes. The fire caused by an apparent electrical short in a coffee maker left on by accident. The coffee maker being old and without an auto shut off feature it's perfect for this purpose. I don't feel like painstakingly cleaning up after myself to eliminate all trace of my presence. My latest kill made with this house as my base of operations was particularly taxing. This one was one of the ring leaders and needed to be shown the full measure of my rage. I have patiently held it in check for 18 years. Believe me when I tell you that he completely understood how dissatisfied I was with his behavior all those years ago. I give him kudos however because he never begged for death. Even after the worst of it he still only said, "Please don't kill me." Who would think that the Air Force had such courageous fellows in it. I mean how much guts does it take to drop bombs on anonymous targets from 50,000 feet? I killed him anyway. I mean that is the whole point to the exercise. All the stuff before the death blow is just whipped cream and a cherry on top of it. I don't usually allow myself extras like that; but this time I had not only the inclination but the time. One stupendous bonus of this kill, he had a Cayman Islands bank account that no one knew about. So I added to my own Cayman account from his. I had to transfer the money around the world a few times and back through strawman accounts,to cover my tracks. That was what was so taxing, two days of little sleep, monitoring all the financial transactions. Well I have the fire to get ready, so I'll log off now. The woman of this house has made it so easy. There is a can of bacon grease right next to the coffee maker and candles everywhere throughout the house. They will fuel the simple electrical fire very well, thank you. Until next time boys and girls." ]]> hoosierarcher http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=274 In need of a wilderness survival Expert http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=273 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:41:43 GMT I'm a graduating senior at BEST high school and I'm doing my project on Northwest Wilderness Survival (washington). I need to find an expert and do an interview so I can write my i-search paper and if anyone on here is an expert or knows of one please help me out. ]]> jkellie http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=273 History Of The Wilderness Survival Forums http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=271 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:56:29 GMT **HISTORY OF THE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL FORUMS* * *Chapter 1 - Part 2* *In The Beginning………* So, Chris put that idea of his to work on February 4,...
HISTORY OF THE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL FORUMS

Chapter 1 - Part 2
In The Beginning………


So, Chris put that idea of his to work on February 4, 2007. He brought the Forums on-line as our first Member (and Administrator/Owner). Here’s proof:

Chris (Administrator)
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...member.php?u=1

He quickly followed up by creating 4 threads in rapid succession. Here they are:

02/04/2007 @ 3:02 PM
First Thread (General Emergency Preparedness Forum) and Post on the Forums (by Chris)
“Home Based Electricity”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=1&postcount=1

02/04/2007 @ 3:06 PM
Second Thread (Homestead Gardening & Food Storage) and Post on the Forums (by Chris)
“Protein”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=2&postcount=1

02/04/2007 @ 3:10 PM
Third Thread (Homestead Gardening & Food Storage) and Post on the Forums (by Chris)
“Growing your own Food”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=3&postcount=1

02/04/2007 @ 4:51 PM
Fourth Thread and Post on the Forums (by Chris)
“Welcome to the Forum” (Site, Quiz, and Forum Feedback)
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=4&postcount=1
“Welcome to this new forum, launched February 4th, 2007.”

After that, it was silent for a while. Was Chris lonely here all by himself? Only he knows for sure. The second Forums Member joined the next day, but never wrote a single post or ever logged in again. That was his loss. His screen name was……….

ampm88 http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...member.php?u=2

The Forums’ first month was pretty quiet, except for 4 Spammers who were Banned by Chris. Here are some memorable dates and highlights of what happened:

02/06/2007
Our 3rd Member joined the Forums
rt36crazyfists http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...member.php?u=3
rt36crazyfists wrote a total of 18 posts and last logged in on 04/02/2008

02/07/2007
Our 4th. Member joined the Forums
mamab http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...member.php?u=4
mamab wrote a total of 50 posts and last logged in on 03/03/2007

02/07/2007 @ 1:28 PM
First Ever Member Introduction Thread and Post (by mamab)
“I didn’t see an Introduction thread”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=5&postcount=1

02/07/2007 @ 1:31 PM
First Ever Making Stuff Thread and Post (by mamab)
“Flintknapping”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=6&postcount=1

02/07/2007
Our5th Member joined the Forums
Tater03 http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...member.php?u=5
Tater03 wrote a total of 46 posts and last logged in on 03/03/2007

02/07/2007 @ 2:43 PM
First Ever Survival Kits & Survival Products Thread and Post (by Tater03)
“Whistles”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=8&postcount=1

02/07/2007 @ 8:30 PM
First Ever General Survival Discussion ForumThread and Post (by rt36crazyfists)
“Crawfish” It’s still an active thread.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...25&postcount=1

02/07/2007
Tater03 Posts an Introduction
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=9&postcount=1

02/09/2007
Our 10th. Member joined the Forums
Minwabbi http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=10
Minwabi wrote a total of 41 posts and last logged in on 02/26/2007

02/12/2007
First Ever “Sticky” Thread started by tater03 in the “Survival Kits & Survival Products” Forum
“Fire Starter Info.”
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=1408

02/18/2007
Our 25th. Member joined the Forums
Bowcatz
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=25
Bowcatz wrote a total of 57 posts and last logged in on 05/09/2008

02/19/2007
Our 30th. Member joined the Forums
the edge
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=30
the edge has written 96 posts and is still an ACTIVE MEMBER!

02/20/2007
Our 32nd. Member joined the Forums
donny h
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=32
donny h has written 104 posts and is still an ACTIVE MEMBER!

02/22/2007
Our 34th. Member joined the Forums
Larry B
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=34
Larry B has written 61 posts and is still an ACTIVE MEMBER!

02/23/2007
Our First SPAMMER got BANNED!
banditoshu http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ember.php?u=35

03/04/2007
The Forums celebrated its first month’s anniversary.
By the end of the day, we had 48 members.
4 spammers were banned in our first month.
61 Threads were started in our first month. ]]> Ken http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=271 History Of The Wilderness Survival Forums http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=270 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:22:19 GMT *HISTORY OF THE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL FORUMS* *CHAPTER 1 - PART 1* *IN THE BEGINNING………* Today, February 4, 2010, marks the Third Anniversary...
HISTORY OF THE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL FORUMS


CHAPTER 1 - PART 1
IN THE BEGINNING………



Today, February 4, 2010, marks the Third Anniversary of our Wilderness Survival Forums. Just take a look at recent Forums statistics: 4,374 Members. 9,841 Threads. 185,804 Posts.

The fact that a few of our initial members stayed around is one of the reasons more and more members kept joining. Many of our Members have never posted or have otherwise posted only once or a very few times. Other membrs check in several times everyday.

Only a few of our original “old timers” – Members like our Administrator/Owner, Chris, and Members the edge, donny h, and Larry B who joined in our first month, have been around long enough to claim they have “survived” all of our history.

Have you ever wondered how it all began? Have you ever wondered how we’ve grown so large? Have you missed or forgotten any notable events?

Legend says it happened like this………

Once upon a time, there was this guy, we’ll call him “Chris” because that’s his real name, who had an idea. About 6 months after launching the Forums, he explained it this way:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris View Post

And so it begins....

I made this website 6 years ago. I had taken a Wilderness Survival class in ROTC and when studying there was such a low amount reference material online I thought I should make a site about it. I kept saying that "I should make a wilderness survival site" until my wife said "Well, do it already." So I did.

I waited quite awhile to add the forum, but once I did it really came to life, I want to thank all of you who have participated. I run around 6 forums and I was just remarking to my wife the other day how much I loved this one. More than any other forum I run this one has more quickly attracted better, more knowledgeable people.

You also have been so well behaved. Really, lots of great on topic relevant discussions with very little bickering (I did read something about who knows more about moose, if that is the worst it gets, great).

There has only been one person who needed discipline, they were posting nonsensical garbage posts for no apparent reason.

Until now, I got 2 PMs today about members causing problems. What has happened?

I don't want to be all heavy handed, appoint a moderator, enforce rules, I like the whole mutual respect camaraderie instead, but things have to stay civil.

So, here are some rules to keep in mind.

1. No hate speech. No derogatory comments about someone or a group of people based on sex, race, age, religion, whatever.

2. No personal attacks. If you disagree with someone, refute their statement. Don't call them a village idiot.

3. Private messages are private. Posting them publicly is just being antagonistic.

4. Keep discussion PG-13. If it goes to R rated this website might not be accessible from work places, schools, libraries, and the like.

5. No posting commercial advertisements (a/k/a spamming).

I'm not going to start with the policing now, since I never really gave you rules, but here are the rules, please try to follow them.
]]> Ken http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=270 So You Want To Rattle and Grunt http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=269 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:41:45 GMT It was a clear and cold December morning in 1987, when a Maryland hunt that I will remember forever took place. It started out like most, get up... It was a clear and cold December morning in 1987, when a Maryland hunt that I will remember forever took place. It started out like most, get up early and load the truck, but this morning the load was a bit different than usual for me.

At this time in my live, I was hunting with equipment that most archers were using, the compound bow. Only on this day, my compound bow was at the shop getting a new string, so I picked up my old trusty Bear recurve. It was a very good bow and I can say that I probably killed just as many rabbits with this bow as Leon has killed deer. Now if you know Leon, that's a lot of rabbits. So I was comfortable with my Bear.

My experience with the Baker tree stand like many others included sliding down a tree hanging on for dear life as the tree and my life flashed in front of my face. For this reason I chose to only put my stand about six feet above the ground. The stand placement was perfect, close to and active deer trail. The stand was hooked to a hardwood tree that was in the middle of a prickly holly bush. To get into the stand I had to jump up and throw myself onto the edge of the stand and pull my legs up as to not get caught in the holly stickers. There was a backdrop and my image would be broken up just fine. Perfect.

The jump was hard but since I was younger then, doable. Got myself situated on the stool and pulled u the bow and arrows and still was in the stand a half hour before daylight. It was a beautiful morning and like many cold mornings it ended up getting really cold right as the sun came up.

Ron of Ron's diner had given me a pair of rattling antlers earlier in the week and told me that it was time to rattle. Ron is an excellent deer hunter and his advice was always welcomed and appreciated. He showed me how to rattle and use the grunt call and told me to practice. Needless to say, I practiced for the week and I think my wife at the time thought I had totally lost it.

It was time! So I got down to business, nocked and arrow and started grunting and rattling. I grunted, I rattled and I stopped. Then I heard him coming, he wasn't the biggest deer in the woods but I can tell you that he was the MEANEAST deer in Maryland. Now remember, my stand was only six feet at the most above the ground right over a holly bush. Here is my chance, going to get a buck during the rut. Yeh Right! As I mentioned, this six pint was just all out mean, he ran in and started tearing up the holly bush. Excitement everywhere, he's looking up, I'm looking down. I can't stand up because I am scared to death, because he is still tearing up the holly bush. It tried to take a shot but, WOW, where is my arrow. It is laying on the ground and he has already stepped on it numerous times. I sat there in shock, I was not cold anymore.

The meanest deer in Maryland spent what seemed like five minutes just ripping and tearing up the holly bush. There was steam coming out his nose, he was snorting, grunting, pissing, and finally got to the tree that my stand was connected to. That did not stop him as he just had to rake the tree a few times. Finally, after an eternity the deer turned and walked off. I was still shaking and to try and get a shot was just out of the question. I waited for an hour, lowered my bow, lowered my seat, and could not get out of the woods fast enough. I kept looking behind me and my walk was more like a trot, I left the stand there till the end of the year and picked it up on bright sunny afternoon after the season was over. This was my first and only time grunting and rattling. Hmmm, may need to try this on a Georgia deer next year.

Naaaa. ]]> FVR http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=269 Love story http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=267 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:30:37 GMT ive noticed the trend in chat rooms is to argue with people these days. i know it can be pretty fun to give your friend some static now and... ive noticed the trend in chat rooms is to argue with people these days.

i know it can be pretty fun to give your friend some static now and then,

but thats not what im talking about.

i see people comming into chat rooms looking for help and people right away jump all over them. telling them its stupid to ask for advice online.

then theres the random name calling for no real reason. people just trying to get the best of each other.

heres a little story, it isnt true but it sure could be.

a guy goes into a chat room looking for a bit of entertainment. he ends up getting into an arguement.
the guy ends up leaving and driving, a bit too fast, down the freeway.
he cuts off another guy that decides to give him the finger.
mr. finger goes home, now angry, and yells at his wife for no real reason.
the wife later beats her kid.

the kid brings a gun to school the next day.

does this sound far fetched? how do you think these things happen?
what do you think the guy that went into the chat room in the first place did with the rest of his day?

how many people did he affect in the course of a day?
how many people might they affect?

do you get my point?

hate spreads.

where does it end?
i only know of one place for sure.
it ends with me.

from this day on ill know the truth. only i can make myself angry-and ill do my best not to anger others.

maybe the chain of events is much shorter.
what if a guy looking for help online gets jumped on and finds one more reason not to live.

what if-ANYTHING?

you never know who youre talking to.

if we cant get along in a chat room then what hope do we have?

there is good news:
love spreads just as fast. faster even. a kind word goes a long ways.
a random act of kindness can spread around the world.

of course this isnt just for chat rooms.
think of all the chances you get in a day.
all the people you meet. all the people you know. all the people you talk to.

even the guy that takes your pizza order on the phone.

does hate and anger stop with you?
does love start with you?

i hope the world reads and understands this simple little blog.
feel free to copy it and use it any way you want.

i really hope you have a great day,
Bladen ]]> Bladen http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=267 Why Tanning? http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=266 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:11:43 GMT Theres a short answer, and there's a long answer.

I look at things like this: Pre-settlement natives had no "modern" anything. They did for themselves and their community or they did without. They viewed their tribe as a whole entity consisting of seperate specialized parts. Some were livers, some were toenails, some were eyes. Some hunted, some tanned, some foraged, some gathered firewood, etc.
Native Americans did a lot with little. This is my goal in life. I want to be able to do as much as possible with what is at hand, in nature. I intend to become less dependent on the "almighty dollar" because in my mind there is only one who is Almighty.
I enjoy primitive skills because it reduces my dependence on manufactured gadgets and gizmos, of which the by-products are noise, smog, and pollution. Manufactured goods turn natures bounty into a cash crop while consuming endless natural resources. Exploitation at it's best.
Yes, I have a job, wife, kids, house, bills, etc. but wouldn't life be better without all that hustle and bustle? Too late for me. I got 7 more years before I can give up the rat race. That's okay, that'll give me time to hone my skills.

now to answer the question:
For me, tanning started as a question. I thought about the deer I killed and butchered, and wondered what else could be done with it. So I began exploring the ideas of using more of it. I wanted to mount the rack, but being poor and all, I didn't have the 400 bucks it would require. So I set out to do it myself. I tanned the deerskin as a fur and did my own mount, using the horns and skullcap and the rump and tail of the deer.
Ultimately it became KNOWLEDGE that was capable of setting me free from the textile industry. If TSHTF, I would know how to clothe myself and my family, before my cotton/poly was torn to shreds by the briars and brambles that dominate the forest floor.
Buckskin is that miracle material that we have all been searching for, for wilderness treks. It isn't "woven" into a grid pattern with holes between the fibers that thorns can snag in. It's lightweight, breaks the wind exceptionally well, soft and comfortable, extremely durable, and best of all WASHABLE.
My second skin was buckskin. So was my third. I made them into an abo shirt. complete with sinew stitching. by the fourth skin, I was using stone and bone tools (more primitive), and this led me further into the primitive in the making of such tools. by the sixth skin, I had begun to learn knapping and cordage, then wondered about all the other things the natives used.
How did they get through life without a Wal-Mart??
Curious how they got food without burning so many calories, or wasting so much time in a day hunting, I began to learn trapping techniques and trigger systems.

In summary, Tanning turned my modernistic view of the world on it's head. My attitude changed. I no longer want to be dependent on the system of man. I want to be free from the drudgery of modern life. I want to be able to do things for myself without depending on anyone else to make a bic lighter or paracord.

For me, tanning is what set me on my course to be self-reliant. It is a self-reliance skill, and in any long term bug out scenario, you will eventually need clothing. You will need extra containers and bags. You will need many things that nature can provide and tanning skins will cover a lot of those needs. From leather to the sinews, to the bones and grease.

Tanning is a survival and self-reliance skill with great rewards. It's not a craft. Craft's are pretty. Tanned skins are pretty, but more functional than many of the "crafts" you see at trade tables across the country. A rawhide tamborine on a bamboo hoop isn't going to get you a meal or keep you warm.

Buckskin will ;) ]]> your_comforting_company http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=266 Wind in the Valley Part II http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=265 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:46:46 GMT So there I stood, a ghostly white figure covered in snow, starin' up at that cursed ridge and my most prized possession.

"Well, Mr. Hawkins," I shouted, "You have taken up quite a lofty position, sir. And I must say you have placed me at quite the disadvantage. I hadn't reckoned on you being quite so persnickety on this here outing."

Every roosted bird in that valley had certain thoughts I had gone snow mad. Perhaps that would have been the better of it. But twas only my way of delaying what surely had to be inevitable.

I eyed that ridge trying to calculate the surest route to the top of it. In my minds eye I conjured up the most manly of pictures, all successful, to be sure. But in the end I took on the route I knew to be doable. The one I had passed upon twice already. The latter trip, of course, being much quicker than the first. After all, I had already learned which plants on that route I could trust. And which I could not.

"I never worry when I fall down, Mr. Hawkins," I shouted as I started back up the side of that vertical rock. I stopped a moment and stared up at my rifle. "A worm and a snake are the only things that can't fall down. It's a task most easy fer me," I said as I resumed my climb.

I slowly groped my way back up the side of that cussed ridge. My boots slipping and sliding in the snow as I clung tightly to whatever late season vegetation I could find. Young trees, stout and tall, make for steady hand holds and I had just fitted by left hand snugly ‘round one when my right hand landed squarely upon a rounded stone. I picked it up and looked it over while turning it north and south, over and under. I glanced back up the ridge at the devil weed still clinging to my rifle then back ag’in to the stone in my hand.

A smile crossed my lips as another genuine stroke of genius wobbled from one ear to the next. I was nearly mid-way to the top and saw no solid reason I should venture further if the need weren’t there. So I adjusted the grip of my left hand. I planted my boots as solidly as any human could, reared back that stone and launched it directly at the bramble bush. The stone crashed against the briars amid an explosion of snow.

“Ha ha!” I laughed as my Hawkins swayed to and fro supported on the very end of a bramble vine. “What say you, Mr. Hawkins? I have more stones, sir.”

It was at that precise moment the briars released their grip. It was at that precise moment that my Hawkins stood unsupported on the side of the ridge. It was also at that precise moment that I realized I stood directly beneath a nearly four foot long piece of steel and wood. I glanced down toward the bottom of the ridge and shook my head in disbelief. I looked up just in time for my rifle to tackle me plum off the side of that horrible rock.

I must confess that I have always been most jealous of birds. The ability to fly free and high must surely be the greatest of pleasures, I imagined. Yet, my two attempts at flying on this day had yielded not the least little bit of joy. Oh, in truth, twern’t the flying that I found distasteful but the landings.

“We’re going places, thee and me,” I told my trusted rifle. And so we did. Straight down the side of that ridge. Once ag’in, I found myself lyin’ flat of my back in a swirl of ever deeper new fallin’ snow.

“Never let it be said, Mr. Hawkins, that I am one to tell a lie,” I said as I coughed a good bit of snow out of my craw. “I find fallin’ a task most easy fer me.” ]]> Rick http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=265 <![CDATA[Advise to the: "I am moving to Alaska wilderness, and live off the land"]]> http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=264 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:01:43 GMT After 40 years in Alaska, much of it remote, I give the following advise to those who dream of: Living alone in the wilderness off the land. Study:... After 40 years in Alaska, much of it remote, I give the following advise to those who dream of: Living alone in the wilderness off the land.

Study: Read everything you can find written FIRST Person, by those who did it in 1886 to 1936. Spend one year reading, studying, and get a good magnifying glass with which to study photographs of the period. Make notes, what did they wear, what tools are present, how did they feed the dog team, how many ways too build a cache, etc..

The good news is that much was recorded by survey parties, and Federal Judges, Missionaries, and a few educated prospectors.
It is doable, but the physical pain and suffering, the mental anguish will be beyond anything you can currently comprehend. However the reward, even if you fail, will be beyond anything you can currently comprehend.
The key is to study those who really did it. ]]> Sourdough http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=264